Cell Incubator

[Tim1606]

Having just seen the warming cabinet that MrB has made, has anybody attempted to make a queen cell incubator? I have seen them going for well over £100 and thought this might be a good project to build if it is possible.

 

[SixFooter]

Finman sent a link a while ago to a supplier of suitable heaters for DIY incubators
http://www.ascott.biz/acatalog/25-Egg-DIY-Incubator-Kit-PY59.html

 

[Poly Hive]

Alternatively let your bees incubate them in a super. KISS

PH

 

[Finman]

I let the rearing hive incubate the cells. No idea to build a incubator for 20 cells.

Of course you may get even 100 queen but from where you get nucs and bees to them.

 

[Hivemaker.]

Not really worth building an incubator, unless you just wish to do it for some kind of enjoyment thing....but by the time you have bought the components it's just as cheap to buy a ready made one which has been tried and tested to work well.
This company sell some very good one's.
http://www.banburycrossincubators.c...en_GB/?ViewAction=View&ObjectID=560228&Page=2

 

[sawdstmakr]

The big down fall to using an incubator is that every queen cell will be allowed to develope, even the defective ones. If you let the bees do it they will remove the defective queens. They can detect problems that we cannot see. The professionals use the bees to incubate for this reason.

 

[Hivemaker.]

The professionals use the bees to incubate for this reason.

No they don't, the majority use incubators....

 

[sawdstmakr]

The professionals use the bees to incubate for this reason.

No they don't, the majority use incubators....

I ordered and received a coures on Queen rearing from a guy in GA who produces thousands of queens and he specifically states to not use the incubators for this reason.

My first queen had defective wings, she was probably raised in an incubator. My supplier quit buying from him because of too many problems.
Jim

 

[Hivemaker.]

These produce many thousands of queens......cells in incubators, and lots more links to other large breeders if you wish....plus i produce several hundred a season....all cells in incubators.

http://www.buckfast.dk/uk.htm

http://www.batsis.gr/Main_En.html

 

[Hivemaker.]

If you let the bees do it they will remove the defective queens.

How do you explain virgin queens that can emerge in a natural colony that have deformed wings and are unable to fly,and this is not discovered until you find the virgin to see what the problem is regards not getting mated.....why have the bee's not detected this and removed said virgin while still in the cell?

 

[Tim1606]

Thank you Hivemaker. We will probably buy one.

Having kept bees and raised queens about twelve years ago and then having to give it all up for personal reasons, i thought i would start to raise my own again.

I would rather have my own local queens that i have bred myself then imported queens that i have no control over.

 

[Hivemaker.]

Hope you get on well next year Tim....and i agree thats the best way to go,rearing your own.

 

[Poly Hive]

When I have virgins about to emerge in a super, they are (I thought it would go with out saying) **never right and wrong again** that they are caged.

I can then visually assess them before giving them to a mini nuc.

PH

 

[Hombre]

**never right and wrong again** that they are caged.

I can then visually assess them before giving them to a mini nuc.
PH

Why whip yourself PH, when others can do it for you? **never right, but wrong again.**

I assumed caged, but it's not as obvious to all beginners as it might appear. I think that in a number of areas, it's the nuances that are unstated that make procedures seem very simple and followed by newbees, to the letter, who wonder why things don't quite pan out as expected.

It's just become second nature to you, and many others, but that becomes a bit like the internet misdirection where you oft hear myths repeated ad infinitum until they become accepted as factual.

I benefitted from your clarification, so thanks.

 

[oliver90owner]

Every small detail would not be included in a reply between experienced(?) beeks who were simply comparing their own personal preference of their method of increase or queen rearing. Unfortunately the blind beginners simply follow what is there with no real knowledge of the real details of the method chosen. That is often where the fault lies. With the beginner for doing naff-all but follow someone elses conversation. There is no substitute for reading up on the subject where the text has been made Id**t proof for everyone who reads it.

If this appears to knock the beginners, tough. It will sort out those who need to take careful note and act on it, and those who will be able to agree because that is exactly the way they have gone about learning - they are the most intersted ones, and will succed where the others will not. They will be the ones still keeping bees long after the non-readers have given up. Good of those and the best wishes for a long and satisfying career in beekeeping, hobby, productive or whatever.

Regards, RAB

 

[keith pierce]

this incubator can be bought for 120euro. there is cheaper ones out there for about 50euro




Uploaded with ImageShack.us

 

[Poly Hive]

I should add that caging cells about to emerge is lethal to the virgins unless some queen candy is in the cage which is why when I left Craibstone and the incubator there I gave up on that method and used bees in a hive instead as the safer method.

How much? About the size of a petit pois pea other wise they get covered and die..... caged virgins are on a death wish as far as I can see.

PH

 

[beebreeder]

Like these in cages, all got introduced and mated, some still going now, pic taken a few years ago All hatched in an incubator, they will live happily for a day or two if you turn the cage on its side with queen candy in the open q.cell. Obviously better if they go straight to bees but sometimes work interfers.

 

[keith pierce]

whats the small cages

 

[Hivemaker.]

whats the small cages

The small ones on there sides are jz-bz queen cages,used for posting queens and attendants, plus introduction,and can also fit several into battery box's.

http://www.buzzybeeshop.co.uk/page3/page5/page5.html